The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus applied, for example, as an electrophoto-graphic copier. The electrophotographic copier forms an electrostatic latent image on a photosensitive drum, supplies a developing agent to the electrostatic latent image to develop the image and transfers the developing agent image to a sheet as a transfer medium.
In the prior art, sheets are supplied to a photosensitive drum only on a one-by-one basis and, in the case where, for example, a large quantity of copies are taken for a shorter time, there has been left no other way but to increase a copying speed. For this reason, the copier becomes larger in size and the noise becomes louder.
Further, in the case where sheets of smaller size are continuously supplied to the copier and a larger quantity of copies is taken, the photosensitive drum is deteriorated at a surface area corresponding to the sheet size. In the case where a larger quantity of copies is taken with a continuous supply of smaller-size sheets and then a copy is taken with the use of a maximum-size sheet, a defective image results.
The present invention is achieved with the above-mentioned situation in view and it is accordingly the object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus which can take a large quantity of copies for a shorter time and obtain a better quantity of image even in the case where, after a larger quantity of copies has been taken, a copy is taken with the supply of a sheet of larger size.
An image forming apparatus of the present invention comprises an image carrier for carrying an electrostatic latent image, image forming means for forming the electrostatic latent image on the image carrier, developing means for supplying a developing agent to the electrostatic latent image formed by the image forming means and developing the latent image, transfer means for transferring the developing agent image developed by the developing means to be transferred to a transfer medium, supplying means for supplying the transfer medium to the image carrier, and control means for allowing a plurality of electrostatic latent images to be formed at a time in a parallel array on the image carrier as required through the image forming means, wherein the supplying means has a holding section for holding the transfer medium in a parallel sheet array as required and first and second supply sections for allowing the transfer medium which is held in a parallel sheet array in the holding section to be picked up in units of one sheet in a parallel way at a time and supplying these parallel sheets to the image carrier.
An image forming apparatus of the present invention comprises an image carrier for carrying an electrostatic latent image, image forming means for forming the electrostatic latent image on the image carrier, developing means for supplying a developing agent to the electrostatic latent image formed by the image forming means and developing the latent image, transfer means for allowing a developing agent image which is developed by the developing means to be transferred to a transfer medium, supplying means for supplying the transfer medium to the image carrier, and control means for allowing a plurality of electrostatic latent images to be formed in a parallel array at a time as required on the image carrier through the image forming means wherein the supplying means has a holding section for, when a plurality of electrostatic latent images are formed in a parallel array at a time, holding the transfer medium in a parallel sheet array and, when the electrostatic latent image is formed as a single image, holding the transfer medium in a single individual form, first and second supply sections for allowing the transfer medium which is held in a parallel sheet array in the holding section to be picked up in units of one sheet at a time and supplying these parallel sheets to the image carrier and a third supply section for allowing the transfer medium which is held in a single individual form in the holding section to be picked up in a one-by-one way and supplying the single individual sheet to the image carrier.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out hereinafter.